Recorded at Abbey Road last autumn, ‘Rainy Sunday Afternoon’ is The Divine Comedy's thirteenth album and their first studio album since 2019's UK top 5 ‘Office Politics’. The band's last release was 2022's Best Of compilation ‘Charmed Life’ which also reached 5 in the UK album charts. The band’s Neil Hannon most recently wrote the original songs for the Warner Bros blockbuster ‘Wonka.’

Neil says: “My musical output is, for better or worse, a representation of my personality. A good chunk of that personality revels in the rumbumptious; celebrates the silly. And I made ample use of that for the Wonka songs. I have though, like everyone, a darker, more melancholy side. And for one reason or another it has been much in evidence of late. I needed to use this album as an outlet for those feelings. To work through some stuff. Mortality; memories; relationships; political and social upheaval. Everyone should get to make an orchestral pop album once in a while. It should be available on the NHS.“

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Neil Hannon embraces his maudlin leanings on his thirteenth album as The Divine Comedy, and while it's definitely not got as much of the outright silliness he's been known for, there is still a good sense of humour in these cinematic vignettes. Nicely written, emotionally rich orchestral swooners.

TRACK LISTING

1. Achilles
2. The Last Time I Saw The Old Man
3. The Man Who Turned Into A Chair
4. I Want You
5. Rainy Sunday Afternoon
6. All The Pretty Lights
7. Down The Rabbit Hole
8. Mar-a-Lago By The Sea
9. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
10. Can’t Let Go
11. Invisible Thread

A career-spanning 24 track collection of hit singles and fan favourites including National Express, Something For The Weekend, Songs of Love, Our Mutual Friend, A Lady of A Certain Age, To The Rescue and Norman and Norma. It also includes a brand new track The Best Mistakes.

Remastered at Abbey Road, the new ‘Best Of’ offers a comprehensive guide to The Divine Comedy as curated by Neil Hannon himself  and  will be released on his own Divine Comedy Records. ‘Charmed Life’ follows 2019’s top five album ‘Office Politics’ and 2020’s extensive ‘Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time’ reissues project.

TRACK LISTING

Charmed Life
National Express
Norman And Norma
Something For The Weekend
Songs Of Love
The Best Mistakes
At The Indie Disco
Bad Ambassador
A Lady Of A Certain Age
Becoming More Like Alfie
Come Home Billy Bird
Have You Ever Been In Love
Our Mutual Friend
Generation Sex
How Can You Leave Me On My Own
Perfect Lovesong
Your Daddy’s Car
You'll Never Work In This Town Again
Absent Friends
Everybody Knows (Except You)
The Certainty Of Chance
Sunrise
To The Rescue
Tonight We Fly

Deluxe CD Bonus Tracks
I’ll Take What I Can Get
Don’t Make Me Go Outside
Who Do You Think You Are
The Adventurous Type
When When When
Home For The Holidays
Te Amo España
Perfect Lovesong 2021
Simple Pleasures
Those Pesky Kids

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are updating and reissuing the band’s catalogue.

‘Foreverland’ - a record about “meeting your soul mate and living happily ever after... and then what comes after happily ever after” - was first released in 2016. Mojo described it as “Funny, learned and poignant by turns,” while Uncut said it was “sumptuous, orchestral pop laced with lyrical absurdity.”

The album includes singles ‘Catherine The Great’ ‘How Can You Leave Me On My Own’ and ‘To The Rescue’.

The updated LP edition consists of the original album, packaged with a digital download code for the album plus bonus tracks of demos and alternate versions lovingly curated by Neil Hannon, much of which have never been heard before.

The LP is pressed on heavyweight black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve accompanied with photos, credits and extensive liner notes written by Neil, covering the context and inspiration behind the album and its songs.

TRACK LISTING

Foreverland
Napoleon Complex
Foreverland
Catherine The Great
Funny Peculiar
The Pact
To The Rescue
How Can You Leave Me On My Own I Joined The Foreign Legion (To Forget)
My Happy Place
A Desperate Man
Other People
The One Who Loves You

Bonus Content (Download Only)
Napoleon Complex (alternate version)
How Can You Leave Me On My Own (alternate Version)
Them Chattering Teeth
The Pact (demo)
Desperate Man (demo)
Your Lucky Day
I Joined The Foreign Legion (early idea)
Breakfast (To Our Fathers In Distress demo)
Reconnecting (To The Rescue Early idea)
To The Rescue (demo)
One Ear Up, One Ear Down (demo)
Catherine The Great (demo)
Pictures (alternate Foreverland)
ARP Break
My Happy Place (demo)
Just Can't Get Enough
The One Who Loves You (demo)
C'est Si Bon
I Joined The Foreign Legion (alternate Version)
Who Were We (demo)

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

A Short Album About Love was conceived as a companion piece to the band's previous album Casanova. It was recorded live at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London in 1996 with a 30-piece orchestra, and was released in time for Valentine’s Day 1997, charting at 13 in the UK. NME described the show where the album was recorded as "an evening when dreams finally come true; a night of costume changes, classical kisses and - in time honoured tradition of drinking and dressing up - hugely sophisticated fun… One suspects it wouldn't be too hazardous to suggest that Neil Hannon is having by far the finest night of his entire sodding life." Time Out, reviewing the album, said: "Seven of the most heart-stoppingly gorgeous, romantic smoochers you have ever heard, all drenched in strings and emotion." The single Everybody Knows (Except You) reached 14 in the UK chart.

TRACK LISTING

CD/LP:
In Pursuit Of Happiness
Everybody Knows (Except You)
Someone
If…
If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)
Timewatching
I'm All You Need
Bath (live)
A Short Film About Driving
Everybody Knows (Except You) (early Idea)
Johnny Mathis' Feet (live)
I'm All You Need (instrumental Demo)
A Short Film About Dreams
Your Daddy's Car (live)
Teach Us To Love
A Short Film About Waiting
A Short Film About Chance
If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me) (rehearsal Version)
Make It Easy On Yourself (live)

DVD - A Short Film About A Short Album About Love
In Pursuit Of Happiness
Everybody Knows (Except You)
Someone
If…
If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)
Timewatching
I'm All You Need

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Absent Friends was first released in 2004. Describing the album, Neil said: "The songs use stories and characters as a framework to pin my ideas on. It's mostly about the eternal battle between the pull of personal freedom and the comfort of domesticity”. The album was recorded by Guy Massey, mixed by Nigel Godrich and features guest appearances by 6 Music DJ Lauren Laverne and French multi-instrumentalist Yann Tiersen. “The whole album is rich, beautiful and can make you smile and cry on the turn of a chorus” stated Phill Jupitus in the Radio Times, while the Guardian described it as an “ornate gem” and Word magazine said, “it’s Neil Hannon’s best yet”. Stand out tracks from the album include singles Come Home Billy Bird and Absent Friends, as well as fan favourites Our Mutual Friend and Charmed Life.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Absent Friends
Sticks And Stones
Leaving Today
Come Home Billy Bird
My Imaginary Friend
The Wreck Of The Beautiful
Our Mutual Friend
The Happy Goth
Freedom Road
Laika's Theme
Charmed Life

CD 2:
Absolute Power
Our Mutual Friend (early Idea)
The Bird Evolution
Girl Least Likely
Mr Right
Sticks And Stones (demo)
The Dark Horse
Idaho
All Things (alternate Version)
Rose For The Lady
Smiler
Absent Friends (demo)
Anthem For Bored Youth (demo)
Our Mutual Friend (alternate Version)
Antidepressant
Windy Pop
Laika's Theme (The Promise)
Charmed Life (alternate Version

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

The Knighthood was first released in 2010. Written in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Bang.. took an acerbic look into the lives of the rich and powerful, and their impact on the rest of us “down in the street below.” It was described in the Sunday Times as "a collection worthy of Randy Newman at his best" while Pitchfork said, "Neil Hannon continues to quietly and effectively operate his own one-man niche, thanks to impeccable arrangements and tightrope-walking songwriting." Includes the singles At The Indie Disco and I Like, and live favourites Assume The Perpendicular and The Complete Banker.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Down In The Street Below
The Complete Banker
Neapolitan Girl
Bang Goes The Knighthood
At The Indie Disco
Have You Ever Been In Love
Assume The Perpendicular
The Lost Art Of Conversation
Island Life
When A Man Cries
Can You Stand Upon One Leg
I Like

CD 2:
Assume The Perpendicular (alternate Version)
On The Barge
At The Indie Disco (demo 1)
Girl Overboard
Bang Goes The Knighthood (alternate Version)
Beside The Railway Tracks
Have You Ever Been In Love (alternate Version)
Oh Christina
Ya Sumeera
Down In The Street Below (demo)
Island Life (demo)
The Bitter End
When A Man Cries (demo)
The Loneliest Man In The World
The Circular Firing Squad
At The Indie Disco (demo 2)
What's Wrong With You
Wide Open Spaces
I Like (alternate Version)

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Casanova was the band's third album and the first to bring real success. First released in 1996 it explored and dissected a world of casual affairs, loose morals and a thousand anxieties in between. From the NME: "’Casanova’ fairly teems with sex, with suppressed desires.. with ample evidence of what dicks men can be." Mojo described it as a "glorious.. sumptuous paean to life, love and longing." Select said "Only a barren heart could resist it.. Sensible people simply swooned." Singles Something For The Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie and The Frog Princess became chart hits and airplay staples while an alternate version of Songs Of Love became the theme music for legendary Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Hannon's Game
Birds Of Paradise Farm
A Woman Of The World (early Idea)
Motorway To Damascus
Crapper's Delight
Songs Of Love (demo)
Love Is Lighter Than Air
Comme Beaucoup De Messieurs (avec Valérie Lemercier)
Grinchworm
Painting The Forth Bridge
Solsbury Eel

CD 2:
Frog Princess (demo)
My Lovely Horse (from Father Ted)
Father Ted Theme
My Lovely Mayo Mammy (from Father Ted)
The Miracle Is Mine (from Father Ted)
Theme From Casanova (early Idea)
Electro Wurly Groove
Something Before The Weekend (early Idea)
Something For The Weekend (monitor Mix)
Becoming More Like Alfie (monitor Mix)
Stereo Laboratory
Through A Long And Sleepless Night (early Idea)
The Dogs And The Horses (live)

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Fin de Siècle was first released in 1998. Chock full of millennial angst, it was the band's most ambitious album to date. Time Out described it as "A huge, extraordinary record – a concept album even, picking at the scabs of twentieth century existence.. quintessential pop music." Metro said "Fin de Siècle ...is dangerously close to being a masterpiece.. funny, sad, melodically compelling and obsessed with the themes of numbness, death and public transport." Neil McCormick in the Telegraph said "Neil Hannon is one of the most prodigiously talented individuals working in the world of pop... The range of Hannon’s songwriting is simply unmatched by any of his contemporaries." The album charted at number 9, but it was the third single from the album, National Express, that provided The Divine Comedy with their first top ten single. Other stand out tracks from the album include Generation Sex, The Certainty Of Chance and Sunrise.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Generation Sex
Thrillseeker
Commuter Love
Sweden
Eric The Gardener
National Express
Life On Earth
The Certainty Of Chance
Here Comes The Flood
Sunrise

CD 2:
I've Been To A Marvellous Party
Generation Sex (early Idea)
Gin Soaked Boy
With Whom To Dance
Thrillseeker (rehearsal Version)
Maryland Electric Rainstorm
Little Acts Of Kindness
Life On Earth (early Idea)
The Dead Only Quickly
The Winter Blues
London Irish
Here Comes The Flood (demo)
The Certainty Of Chance (demo)
Last Stand In Metroland
Overstrand
Then Four Buses Came Along At Once
National Express (rehearsal Version)
Postcard To Rosie
Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Liberation was the band’s first full album. Released in 1993 it achieved few sales but plenty of critical acclaim. The NME described it as “an array of seductive yarns.. glorious, gleeful tunesmanship."  Dave Cavanagh, writing in Select said "..one of the bountiful, overflowing joys of the year. Any year." Melody Maker described it as "An album that could make any listener want to stumble up to him and proclaim ‘Neil, you’re a genius’". Tracks such as Your Daddy's Car, Europop, and Lucy are fan favourites still performed live by the band to this day while Pop Singers Fear Of The Pollen Count was released as a single from the 1999 "Best Of.“

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Festive Road
Death Of A Supernaturalist
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
I Was Born Yesterday
Your Daddy's Car
Europop
Timewatching
The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count
Queen Of The South
Victoria Falls
Three Sisters
Europe By Train
Lucy

CD 2:
Untitled Melody
Your Daddy's Car (demo)
Queen Of The South (demo)
Europop (live)
Little Darlin'
Bernice Bobs Her Hair (early Idea)
Bontempi Beats 1
The Pop Singers Fear Of The Pollen Count (demo)
Europe By Train (live)
I Can Think (But I Can't Feel)
Lucy (early Version)
Festive Road (demo)
Three Sisters (live)
I Was Born Yesterday (alternate Version)
Bontempi Beats 2
Christmas With The Hannons
Victoria Falls (demo)
Timewatching (demo)
Bontempi Beats 3
Suzanne (live)

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Regeneration was originally released in 2001. Recorded with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, the album was a more stripped back, guitar-oriented affair, and a big break with their trademark orchestral sound. The Observer said: "Regeneration marks, for Hannon, a personal and musical breakthrough". Time Out said: "Hannon has finally created an album as complete and deftly wondrous as you suspected he was capable of; every track shines with a love for music." The Times said "A subtle collection of gorgeous pop songs. Combining the lyrical dexterity of old with some spectacular melodies, this is an album that lives up to the promise of its title". Key tracks from the album include singles Love What You Do, Bad Ambassador and Perfect Lovesong.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
Timestretched
Bad Ambassador
Perfect Lovesong
Note To Self
Lost Property
Eye Of The Needle
Love What You Do
Dumb It Down
Mastermind
Regeneration
The Beauty Regime

CD 2:
Get Me To A Monastery
Lost Property (early Idea)
You
U.S.E
How's Your Wireless?
Thinking The Unthinkable (demo)
Garden Cities
Timestretched (demo)
Note To Self (live)
Edward The Confessor
Soft Power
Born With A Broken Heart
Mastermind (rehearsal Version)
Boy With A Harmonica
Soul Trader
Perfect Lovesong (early Idea)
The Night Is Not Enough
No Excuses
Love What You Do (Live)

In 1990 Neil Hannon started recording and releasing under the name The Divine Comedy. Thirty years and twelve great albums later, Hannon is rightly adjudged one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation. To celebrate, Divine Comedy Records are remastering and reissuing nine of the band's classic albums. The reissues will be released by Neil Hannon’s own label Divine Comedy Records.

Victory For The Comic Muse was first released in 2006. Recorded virtually live in the studio over a two-week period, 'Victory...’ showcased Neil's restless creativity and his flair for observation and narrative. Pitchfork said, "These songs set lofty goals, and realize them" while The Guardian called it a “triumphant comeback” and Spin declared "[Hannon] deserves to be recognized as the unsung genius of symphonic pop."  Singles from the album include To Die A Virgin, Diva Lady and live favourite A Lady Of A Certain Age.

TRACK LISTING

CD 1/LP:
To Die A Virgin
Mother Dear
Diva Lady
A Lady Of A Certain Age
The Light Of Day
Threesome
Party Fears Two
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World
The Plough
Count Grassi's Passage Over Piedmont
Snowball In Negative

CD 2:
Births, Deaths And Marriages
Diva Lady (acoustic Version)
Home (demo)
Pamplemousse
Lili Marlene
Count Grassi's Passage Over Piedmont (early Idea)
Count Grassi's Passage Over Piedmont (instrumental)
Trafalgar
Love/Hate Relationship
Miss Sharapova
Don't Blame The Young
Guantanamo
Long Slow Suicide
To Die A Virgin (early Idea)
A Little Bit Of Love (Goes A Long Long Way)
Elaine (alternate Version)
A Lady Of A Certain Age (instrumental)
Premonition Of Love

TRACK LISTING

Infernal Machines
You’ll Never Work In This Town Again

Neil Hannon, one of the country’s foremost songwriters, releases a wonderful new Divine Comedy album ‘Office Politics’. It’s the follow-up to the acclaimed top ten 2016 album ‘Foreverland’. “Office Politics” is a 16 track tour de force full of inventive, timeless music peopled with a typically irreverent cast of characters. “It has synthesizers. And songs about synthesizers,” Neil says. “But don’t panic. It also has guitars, orchestras, accordions, and songs about love and greed.” But ‘Office Politics’ central characters are the machines. Or ‘Infernal Machines’ as one track rages.

“I do try to make normal records,” Neil says with a smile. ”But it always seems to wander off into odd territories.”

And for that we should be thankful.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Divine Comedy have been at the forefront of whimsical, wry songwriting and dryly observational humour for close to 30 years now, and their latest outing continues the trend, breaching office interactions, politicism and day-to-day humour with their trademark style. Brilliantly familiar but also perfectly up to date. Another cleverly observant and humorous success for Hannon & co.

TRACK LISTING

CD & LP:

Queuejumper
Office Politics
Norman And Norma
Absolutely Obsolete
Infernal Machines
You'll Never Work In This Town Again
Psychological Evaluation
The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale
The Life And Soul Of The Party
A Feather In Your Cap
I'm A Stanger Here
Dark Days Are Here Again
Philip And Steve's Furniture Removal Company
Opportunity' Knox
After The Lord Mayor's Show
When The Working Day Is Done


Deluxe CD:

CD1
Queuejumper
Office Politics
Norman And Norma
Absolutely Obsolete
Infernal Machines
You'll Never Work In This Town Again
Psychological Evaluation
The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale
The Life And Soul Of The Party
A Feather In Your Cap
I'm A Stanger Here
Dark Days Are Here Again
Philip And Steve's Furniture Removal Company
Opportunity' Knox
After The Lord Mayor's Show
When The Working Day Is Done


CD2 (Swallows And Amazons - The Original Piano Demos)
Whistle For A Wind
The Swallow
The Conquering Heroes
Fighting Swallow
The Amazon Pirates
The Parley
Better Drowned Than Duffers
Let's Make The Best Of It
Navy Stroke
Like Robinson Crusoe
Titty's Dream
The Conquering Heroes, Victory Chorus
The Black Spot
The Parley - Flint's Apology
Swallows And Amazons Forever

Brand new studio album from The Divine Comedy, following 2010’s celebrated ‘Bang Goes The Knighthood’.

TRACK LISTING

‘Foreverland’
Napoleon Complex
Foreverland
Catherine The Great
Funny Peculiar
The Pact
To The Rescue
How Can You Leave Me On My Own
I Joined The Foreign Legion (To Forget)
My Happy Place
A Desperate Man
Other People
The One Who Loves You

‘In May’ (Deluxe CD Only)
6th Of December
11th Of December
13th Of December
23rd Of December
3rd Of January
13th Of January
15th Of January
30th Of January
7th Of February
22nd Of February
8th Of March
27th Of March
4th Of April
4th Of April (Midnight)
3rd Of May
10th Of May
21st Of May
28th Of May
31st Of May

The Duckworth Lewis Method is the cricket themed side project of The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and Pugwash’s Thomas Walsh.

‘Sticky Wickets’ is the follow up to their 2009 Ivor Novello nominated eponymous debut. The album consists of 12 beautifully eccentric, catchy songs on the always fascinating subject of cricket.

Lead track ‘It’s Just Not Cricket’ features legendary TMS commentator Henry ‘Blowers’ Blofeld. Other special guests include David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, Daniel Radcliffe, Matt Berry and Stephen Fry.

Set for release just in time for The Ashes and a glorious Summer of cricket.

"Bang Goes The Knighthood" is the tenth studio album from Northern Irish chamber-pop group The Divine Comedy. Led by frontman Neil Hannon, the only constant member of the band throughout their 21 year career, The Divine Comedy draw equal inspiration from literature as well as music. This record is the band's first in four years, and their first since Hannon released "The Duckworth Lewis Method" with Thomas Walsh from Pugwash.